Highlighting the importance of testing in the product development process

Abstract

A product development is not a linear process of “design-build-test”; rather, the design process and the testing process are closely integrated throughout the product development process. The main objective of this paper is to understand how testing is integrated into the product development process and how that effects the product development processes in companies. This paper reports case studies in UK based manufacturing companies where physical testing are essential activities but key concern in reducing design time and cost. Based on these case studies, this paper proposes a product development process framework that highlights the importance of testing and it’s intertwined nature with design activities